The Old Bridgegate,
which appears to have been of equal antiquity with the bridge itself, for it is shown by documents in the possession of the Earl of Shrewsbury, that Randle, Earl of Chester, confirmed a gift of his Countess to Poyns, her servant, of the custody of this gate. And another deed, of the thirteenth century, preserved among the same documents, records, “quod ego Ricardus Bagoth de Cestr: dedi et omnino quietam clamavi Philippo clerico civi Cestr: totum jus meum in porta pontis Cestr: cum omnibus pertinentijs suis.” From Philip the clerk the custody of this gate passed to the family of Raby, one of whom, Philip de Raby, in the fourteenth century, had also the keeping of the Earl’s garden at the Castle, for which service he received the fruit of a tree called “a restynge tre,” and whatever remained on the other trees after the first shaking, under the reddendo of furnishing the Earl’s household with colewort from Michaelmas to Lent, and with leeks during Lent. From the Rabys the custody of the Bridgegate passed to the Norrises of Speke, in Lancashire, and the Troutbecks. In 1624 the Corporation purchased the moiety belonging to the Norrises; and in 1660 they also purchased the other moiety from the Earl of Shrewsbury, representative of the Troutbecks, the Earl reserving to himself, during his visits to Chester, the use of a suite of apartments in a house near the gate.
The Old Gate consisted of an arched gateway, flanked with two strong round towers, on one of which was erected a lofty octagonal tower, containing a cistern for supplying the city with water, called Tyrer’s Water Works, concerning which Webb says, “The Bridgegate hath of late been greatly beautified by a seemly water-work of stone, built steeple-wise, by the ingenious industry and charge of a late worthy member of the city, John Tyrer, gent., and hath served ever since to great use, for the conveying of the river water from the cistern, in the top of that work, to the citizens’ houses in almost all the parts of the city, in pipes of lead and wood, to their no small contentment and commodity.” The whole fabric was taken down in 1781.
Proceeding eastward, a most pleasing view of the Dee, of considerable extent, is presented, with delightful cottage and villa residences on the Boughton bank, and in a pleasant suburb called “Queen’s Park,” the elegant suspension bridge to which forms a novel feature in the landscape. On the left of the river is a cool and shady walk, called The Groves, where there are excellent pleasure boats for the accommodation of those who enjoy a sail or a pull up the river. We have here a very good view of St. John’s Church on the right, a venerable pile, containing some curious and interesting specimens of Norman architecture.
Within about fifty yards of the Recorder’s steps, the wall forms an angle to the northward. Here we ascend six flights of steps, consisting of three steps each, called the Wishing Steps, erected in 1785, at the top of which stood an ancient Watch Tower, which had formerly an apartment with a stone seat on one side, and windows commanding a view of the river and adjacent country. This room was removed in 1826.
We next arrive at